Embossing machine



Ju1y29,1941.' BATES 2,250,561

EMBOSS ING MACHINE Filed April 1'7, 1940 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HAROLD 0.59755 ATToRNn July 29, 1941. H. o. BATES EMBossING. MACHINE Filed April 1'7, i940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR Hamm 05ans BY@ mi ATTORNEY July 29, 1'941- H. o. BATES 2,250,567

EMBOS S ING MACHINE l v INVENTOR ATTGRNEY Patented July 29, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EMBOSSING MACHINE Harold 0. Bates, Cranford, N. J. Application April 17, 1940, Serial No. 330,052 12 Claims. (Cl. 197-6.4)

This invention relates to an embossing machine and more particularly to a devicefor embossing metal bands. The machine is particularly adapted for embossing small metal bands used as markers, as for example for small cylindrical objects like the legs of birds, pigeons, chickens, turkeys, animals, the tails of fish, cord, rope, wire or cable, tubes or the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device which will simply and neatly mark such bands with any insignia desired.

It is a further object to provide a machine in which the insignia can be changed at will or can be spelled out upon the band but at the same time the various characters will be neatly made and accurately spaced.

It is a further object to provide a device of the char-acter described which will be of simple and rugged construction and easy to operate.

The invention accordingly comprisesthe features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplied in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a machine embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section viewed from the same positioon as Fig. 2.

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and '7 are details.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a modification.

'Ihe numeral I0 designates a frame carrying suitable ball bearings II in which is journaled a shaft I2. On `one end of this shaft there is mounted a head I3, which is illustrated as shown in the form of a disc, carrying suitable dies I4, as will be later described. Pivoted to the frame I at I 6 is a sub-frame I 'I carrying ball bearings I8 in which is journaled a shaft I9 on one end of which is carried a head 20, here also shown in the form of a disc. The disc is also provided with dies 2l corresponding to the dies I4 on the head I3.

As illustrated each die I4 comprises a stud tting into a hole 22 in the head parallel to the axis of the shaft I2 'and each die is held in place by a set screw 23. The holes 22, and consequently the dies I4, thus extend outwardly from the face of the head I3 and are equally distant from the center of the shaft and equally spaced from each other around the circumference. Each die has upon its cylindrical surface at the point Where it extends out beyond the disc, a male or female impression of the character which it represents. In order that the characters may extend outwardly away from the center of the band, I prefer to make the dies upon the studs I4 the male dies. These male impressions, therefore, are indicated by the number 24. Each of the dies 2| upon the head 20 is radially disposed upon the head and preferably held in place by a set screw 25 and each die 2l has a character upon it corresponding to the character upon the correspondingv die I4 with which it is adapted to mate, and for the reasons already given, the characters upon the dies 2| are preferably of the female character. The studs I4 are of slightly smaller diameter than the inside of the ring to be operated on.

I prefer to make the face of the dies 2I cylin` drically concave, the diameter of the cylinder being substantially the diameter of the band with which the device is to be used so that when the impression is made upon the band there will be no tendency to flatten the band at the point where it is engaged by the dies. V

Each of the shafts I2 and I9 is provided at its other end with a gear 26-2'I andan idler gear 28 is mounted upon the frame in a position to mesh with the gears 26 and 2l and thus to secure coordination of action between the heads I3 and 20.

The/pivot I 6 of the sub-frame II is preferably arranged close to and in line ywith the pitch diameters of the gears 21 and 28, so that as thesub-frame I 'I is raised and lowered, as will hereafter be described, the gears 21 and 28 nevertheless remain in mesh.

It will be understood that each of the dies 2| is adapted to mate with one of the dies I4 and thatvthe mating dies are so disposed around the periphery of their respective heads that as either head is rotated the mating dies will be brought into registry coordinately.

The sub-frame I7 is raised about its pivot' I6 to free the heads for rotation and to permit the insertion of a band upon one of the dies I4 and the sub-frame is lowered about its pivot to bring the mating dies into embossing cooperation. To accomplish this result there is pivoted to the frame I0 at 30 a lever 3| which is connected to a link 32 which in turn is screw threaded as shown at 33 to a rod 34, which in turn is piv-l oted at 35 to a lever 36 operated by a foot treadle 31. A spring 38 connects the foot treadle with the frame Ill, normally to hold the treadle 31 in raised position. The lever 3| is connected to the sub-frame I1 by a link 39 which is pivoted to the sub-frame at 40 and pivoted to the lever 3| at 4I, the pivots being such that as the treadle 31 is depressed the lever 3| is drawn down and correspondingly the sub-frame I1 is lowered about its pivot I6 to cause the dies 2| to engage with the band and the dies I4. As soon, however, as the foot treadle is released, the spring 38 again raises the head 20.

The ratio of the operating levers will be chosen l with regard to the size of the machine and the The mechanism for supporting thebands which are to be embossed comprises Va` cross head' 45 slidably mounted in guides46 upon the frame.

character of the work to be done.

and having a downwardly extending lug.41 .carrying a pin 48. A lever 49 is pivoted to the frame at 50 and has at its upperend a slot 5I .ionengagement with the pin48. The lower end of the lever 49 is pivoted at 52 to a link 53 which inturn is pivoted at 54 to a bell crank lever 55 pivoted to the frame at 56. vThe other arm 51 of the. bell crank lever 55 is closely adjacent to therod 34 and there is provided upon the rod apair of blocksA 58 and 59. The block 58is of such size and. is so located that when the rod 34 is .moved downwardly by the depression of the foot treadle 3| the block 58 will engage .the` arm.51 of the bell crank lever 55 and rotate .the same counterclockwise, as seen in Fig.Y 3, rotating the lever 49 counterclockwise and thrusting the cross head 45 to the left, as seen in Fig. 3, .which motion, as will be hereafter described, brings one of the bands to be vembossed over one of the dies I4 and in position to be. engaged by one of the dies.2|.

The other block 59 is .ofvsuchposition and shape that as the rod 34 is raised by the release of the foottreadle itwill` engage beneath the arm 51 and reverse themovement Vof the lever 49 and withdraw the cross head 45./ With this construction it will be clear that duringthe first partrof the downward movement `of the Y subframe I1, that is duringithefirst partof the downward movement of the rod 34,.-the lever 55, and Aconsequentlythe cross head 45,'completes its entire movement andthereafter as the -rod 34 continues its downward movement the cross head 45remains stationary byireasonof the fact .that the arm 51 is riding upon a cylindrical-portion of the block 58. Correspondingly, during .the reversefmovement,.theV cross head 45 remains in position until after the upper head is raisedV sufficiently to free .the band fromxthe die 2|. Lock nuts 60 are provided above and below thefframe upon the rod 34 tolimit .the movement thereof in both directions. v v

The.cross head 45 preferably takes the form of a block having a .horizontal bore 6I therein adapted to receive an operating rod .62, which rod carries `at its outer end a dividing head Y63A operated by a handle 64, the dividing head itself being providedwith a plurality ofnotches 85 -inits periphery,^adaptedr to cooperate with a pin 66 whichl is pressed .upwardly against it bya spring 61, it being understood that the notches 65.correspond to the distances apart upon the band that it is desired to place successive characters.- ,The bore 6| is connected with a larger bore 6 8 with which it isconcentric andin the bore hthere is provideda spring chuck 69 having its outer fingers constructedv and .arranged -is-kept `from being lost by a chain 11.

(see Fig. 4) to grasp the end of one of the bands (see Fig. 5). In the form of chuck illustrated, the chuck itself has a conical surface 1I fitting within a conical surface 12 in the bore 68 and the chuck is attached to the rod 62. A spring 13 which may be partly carried in a bore 14 urges the rod 62 to the right and thus, by reason of the conical surfaces 1I and 12, closes the lingers 10 of the' chuck. A removable pin 15 carried by the cross head 45 extends into a slot 16 in the chuck 69 to prevent the rotation of the chuck whenever for any purpose it is desired to unscrew the chuck from the operating rod 62. During normal operation the pin is not in place and Y A nut 18 holds` thedividing head 63 in place upon the 'rod 62.

, The bands with `which this device is particularly intended to be used comprise usually small tubular aluminum or other metal or material sections; .as' shown in Fig..5, having the. ends rolled over asI shown at to'forma bead. I nd it convenient to grasp the band in the chuck bymeans of .this rolled bead.

The operation/of the device will be clear from the;foregoingdescription;

Upon release of'thefoot treadle 31, the head 20 is raised andthe'cross: head y45 is thrown outwardly.v In this position one of the bands 80 may be inserted. in. the fingers .10 by pressing the head 64 against the action of the spring 13 to open the chuck. The` cross head 20 may thereuponbe rotated tobring into registering position the die representing the character to be embossed upon the band andthis action'correspondingly brings. into registering position the mating die. Thereupon the-foot treadle 31 may be depressed causing the cross head 45 to move inwardlyinsertingthe band ythat it contains over the:die,|4 and this'motionis completed before thehead 20- completes .its movement.

The continuing. movement of the head 20`there upon forceszthe die 2| into ymating engagement with .its corresponding die |4 through the aluminum, thus performingftheembossed-effect upon the;aluminum band.` If it isldesiredzto .place .more than onelcharacter upon the`.band, the treadle 31 may be-'re- 1e'ased.:..Th'e head 20 may then be rotated@ to bring the second character into position andthe dividing';head 63'. may be.` turned one spaceand the foot treadle 31 may beagain depressed. This operation will cause :the secondi character to -be embossed upon thebandinspaced relation to the first one.

For the purposeof. insuring theJ accurate yregistry .ofl eachdie 2IV withv its corresponding die I4 .and withthe band,.I prefer to provide means upon' the. cross head ifor f engagingsome fportion of the-head 20 to hold v'thehead'in accurate'alignment -during-theembossingi This is preferably accomplished byprovidingafork 8| which'rslides over the die 2| as'A the cross headn is moved: for; ward and' engages both'sides' ofithe saiddie to holdit' againstlateral motion: It will be clear; therefore; that' any" engagement between the cross` 'head 45 .an'd any registerable` point"'upon the" cross head 20 would serve thesa'me purpose; -A In themodication illustrated4 in Fig'.` 8,' therei's mountedk concentric with thedis'c 2|)v a rim -I2I which. may beattachedfthereto by screws |222 This |2| carries'a.l dowel pin' |234v extending outwardly from its rim; adapted .to enter ahol |24@ inthe periphery?ofzthe.r head 3;4 rjust :before the dies come together to insure complete registry of the dies.

The device is otherwise similar viously described.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and diierent embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that al1 matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It. is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and speciiic features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device for marking bands comprising a frame, a shaft journaled in said frame carrying a circular head, a plurality of dies mounted at circumferentially spaced points around said head, a sub-frame pivoted to said frame and having a second shaft journaled therein, a second circumferential head upon said second shaft, a plurality of dies carried by said second head at circumferentially spaced points, each adapted to mate with a corresponding die of said first mentioned head, a gear train connecting said shafts together, whereby mating dies will be brought simultaneously into registry as the shafts are rotated, said sub-frame being movable from a position to cause the registering dies to eiect an embossing operation to a position to free said dies from each other, a chuck for holding a band tobe marked, said chuck being slidable from a retracted position free from said dies to a forto that preward position to present saidv band to the embossing dies and common means for moving said chuck forward and for tilting said sub-frame to bring said dies into operation.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which the dies upon said first mentioned head are carried upon cylindrical studs of slightly less diameter than the interior of said band and said chuck is constructed and arranged to bring said band over a selected stud as said chuck is moved to forward position.

3. A device according to claim 1 in which the chuck is provided with means constructed and arranged to come into engagement with a die upon the movable head as said chuck is moved to forward position to insure that the mating dies will be in accurate alignment before the embossing pressure is applied.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which said chuck is constructed and arranged to grasp aband by one end thereof and is rotatable, whereby the band may be rotated to present different circumferential portions of said band to the dies.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which said chuck is constructed and arranged to grasp the band by one end thereof and is rotatable and is provided with a dividing head, whereby a band may be rotated to bring different equally spaced circumferential positions of said band to the dies.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which the dies upon the stationary head are carried upon cylindrical studs of substantially the diameter of the interior of the band and the dies upon the movable head are cylindrically concave of approximately the diameter of the band.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which the dies upon the stationary head are carried upon cylindrical studs of substantially the diameter of the interior of the band and the dies upon the movable head are cylindrically concave of approximately the diameter of the band, the dies upon the stationary head extending outwardly from the face of the head approximately parallel to the axis of its shaft and the dies of the movable head extending radially outward therefrom.

8. A device for marking bands comprising a frame, a stationary die, a movable die adapted to cooperate therewith to emboss-an article, a chuck for holding the aricle to be embossed, slidable from a retracted position to a position to present the article to the dies, means for moving the movable die into engagement with the stationary die including a vertically movable rod, a lever pivoted to said frame and connected to move said chuck from one position to the other and connections between said vertical rod and said lever for completing the movement of said chuck during the first portion of said movement of said vertical rod and for holding said chuck stationary during the remainder of the said movement.

9. A device for marking bands comprising a head carrying a plurality of dies, a movable headV carrying a plurality of dies, each adapted to mate with one of the dies of said iirst mentioned head, said heads being rotatable to present any pair of mating dies in working position simultaneously, a chuck for holding a band to be marked and movable from aretracted position to a forward position to present said band to said mating dies, said dies on said stationary head being of substantially the same diameter as the interior of said band, whereby said band is `held in position by any of said dies.

10. A device for marking bands comprising a head carrying a plurality of dies, a movable head carrying a plurality of dies, each adapted to mate with one of the dies of said rst mentioned head, said heads being rotatable to present any pair of mating dies in working position simultaneously, a chuck for holding a band to be marked and movable from a retracted position to a forward position to present said band to said dies, said chuck being provided with a member constructed and arranged to engage the movable head as said chuck is brought into forward position to insure the accurate positioning of said mating dies.

11. A device in accordance with claim 10 in which said dies on said stationary head are of substantially the same diameter as the interior of said band, whereby said band is held in position by any of said dies.

12. A device in accordance with claim 1 having means upon said chuck constructed and arranged to engage the selected die of 'said movable head in the forward position of the chuck to hold said mating dies and band in alignment.

HAROLD O. BATES. 

